The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-03-17
CLIFF JEWELLERS OF COLORADO.
Some Of the Observations Made by an
Observation-Disclosures of a Skull.


ExpIorer-Description of Skull.
The ruins of which I shall write are
found along the Dolores river, and in the
Montezuma valley in the extreme south
western part of Colorado, where is also
found hundreds of mounds. feel sure
That the mound builders and cliff dwell
ers were two distinct races of people, as
these mounds extend for thousands of
miles. while the cliff dwellings extend
over but comparatively small portion
OF territory. They both used the pottery
of which so much is found. Perhaps
they both made it, but there is no way
of telling. That part of the country of
which l am writing is all scanned and
gashed by deep canyons and ravines run
ming in different directions. The walls
of these canyons are generally of sand
stone, ranging in height from ten to 200
feet; most of them are perpendicular, or
nearly SO. The face of these walls seem
to be Of different degrees of hardness.
The softer portions have been worn out
by the storms of rain, hail and sand till
holes and caverns, in size all the way
from swallow holes to caves hundred
or more feet long, five to twenty feet
high and deep. 1t wan these storm
worn caverns that these curious people
made use of for their dwellings. Some
of them are but few feet from the base
Of the cliff, while others are at least 100
feet high. The fronts of these caverns
are walled up with thin fiat stones laid
in mortar of clay, always using their
hands for trowels. There is a difference
of opinion as to how they reached their
dwellings. Some think they had steps
cut in the soft sandstone, while others
claim that they had ladders of rope.
never have seen any proof that they
used either of these means, though /
can't say that they did not. 1 am of the
opinion that they climbed the face of the
cliff by means of crevices and assures,
and the rough surfaces of the rocks. l
feel sure that they were by nature
formed in such way that they could do
that kind of climbing nearly as well as
monkeys.
There is good ground for the opinion
that they were low of stature, with long
arms, and fingers with very long nails.
I will give some of my reasons for this
opinion: First, some of these houses are
not more than four feet from floor to
ceiling. Some of the large dwellings are
divided into several apartments, sep
arated by partitions of stone. The door
ways in no case, SO far as I have seen,
are more than four and a half feet high,
when they might just as well have made
them six or ten feet high if they had
needed them. In the interior of some of
these rooms are deep crevices, the backs
of which are plastered with mud which
was pressed in with their hands, as the
impression of the fingers plainly show.
Some of this mud is so far back that l
could not reach it with my hand. which
is good evidence that their arms were
long. l am a tall man but my arms
would not reach this mud by two or
three inches. The finger points on the
mortar are quite small, and the nails
long, and are as plainly to be seen as
though just made. have several speci-
mems of this mortar which is almost like
/ stone.
These people lived to some extent at
least by agriculture, as proven by find
| ing corn-cobs in their houses. These
cobs are found on the floor by remov-
ing the dust which has gathered to the
depth Of from six to twenty inches. The
cobs soon crllmble to dust upon exposure
to the air. The corn raised by them was
of a small kind, the cobs never being
more than four or five inches in length.
We also find a great many stone troughs,
which We're probably used for grinding
corn. A great many arrow points are
found, all OF which are small; many OF
them are of beautiful workmanship, and
made of different kinds of flint, onyx
and other fine stones. The small size
of these arrow heads is another evidence
that these people were small. l have a
skull which was dug up near the base OF
the cliffs directly under one of these
dwellings. ! will give description oi
it by careful measurement. The fore
head is but one inch high and two inches
across. The eye sockets measure bul
one and three-quarters inches from cen
ter to center. The diameter of the head
Just back of the ears is six and one-fourtl
inches. On the back of the head is 6
perfectly fiat place measuring three by
four inches. This is the skull of al
adult, as shown by the teeth, which ar,
very much worn. Most of the pottery
found in this vicinity is broken, but oc
casionally jar, pot or vase is found. 1
| &c tl,aC 1-inI fhof fnr,nh xvha1-
ever the mounds are found, some Of it il
plain, but most of it is decorated will
figures in black or blue colors; quite 1
good deal of it is decorated with seal
loped edges and corrugated sides. Thi
pottery is found everywhere, on tn
slopes and in the valleys. 1t is ais
found on some of the highest mountain
tops, We find it in digging in tn
mounds and in the cliff houses. Char
coal is also found in many places.
1t is quite probable that these peopl
had enemies of which they were afraid
as there are many high bluffs and head
lands which appear to have been used a
lookouts and on the approach of thei
enemies they could flee to their fortres
in the cliffs and bid defiance to any VIII
might assail them. How long it is sine
these people lived here of course is
matter of conjecture. The Indians Ii,
ing in the Montezuma valley say tina
they have lived there 600 years, and tha
their forefathers found these ruins i
the same condition in which we fin
them to-day. That they are very ancier
there can be no question and nothin
will ever be really known.-H. n
Morse in American Field.